All About Normativity

Abstract

This dissertation is a collection of standalone papers about normativity in the moral and aesthetic domains. Taken on its own, each chapter deals with different thesis. However, as shown in the title, these three chapters are united under my view of normativity. In chapter 1, I argue that normativity of morality must speak to the individual by arguing against David Copp’s style of large-scale of moral practice. In chapter 2, I argue that the aesthetic normativity of score-following in classical music performance is grounded in aesthetic experience of performers. In chapter 3, I argue that moral normativity is grounded in genuine moral experience.Here is the summary of my view. I argue that we cannot explain the normativity for the individual agent, in morality or music performance, just by referencing an act’s value for the relevant community or the practice of the community. By contrast, I argue that the pertinent account of normativity must be grounded in facts that refer to individuals. That is because, regardless of whether some large-scale practice preserves or promotes some value for all humans, its justification will not transmit to the justification of individuals. Therefore, the end or goodness of large-scale practice does not serve as an appropriate start to discuss issues of normativity. Instead, we should look for a normative source grounded in the experience of individuals, such as genuine, self-cultivated genuine domains specifically, normative experiences.